346 Inftituted Religion not intended Vol. j; Firjl, That Natural Religion is the Foundation of Infiituted and Revealed Re= Pigion. Secondly, That no InfMuted Religionwas ever defigned to take away the obli= gation of Natural Duties ; but is intended to eftablifh and confirm them. And both thefe are fufficientlygrounded in the Reafon ofour Saviour's Difcourfedfrom this Rule, -I mill have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. I. That Natural Religion is the Foundation of Inflamed and Revealed Religi- on ; and all Revealed Religiondoes fuppofe, and take for granted, the clear and undoubted Principles and Precepts of Natural Religion, and builds upon them. By Natural Religion, I mean obedience to the Natural Lam, and the performance of fuch duties as Natural Light, without any exprefs and fepernatural Revelation, dothdilate to Men. Thefe lye at the bottom of all Religion, and are the great and Fundamental Dtities which God requires of all Mankind ; as, that we fhould love God, and behave our felves reverently towards him; that we fhopld be- lieve his Revelations; and teftifie our dependance upon him, by imploringhis aid and direlion in all our neceflitiesand diflreffes ; and acknowledge our obli- gations to him for all the Bleffings and Benefits which we receive 5-that we fhould moderate our Appetites, in reference to the Pleafures and Enjoyments of this World, and ufe them temperately and chaftly ; that we fhould be juft and up- right in all our Dealings with one another ; true to our word, and faithful to our trufl ; and in all our words and alions obferve that Equity towards others, which we defire they fhould ufe towards us; that we fhould be kind, and cha- ritable, merciful, and compaf ionate one towards another; ready to do good to all, and apt not only to pity, but to relieve them in their mifery and neceflity. Thefe, and fuch like, _are thofe which we call Moral Duties 5 and they are of eternal and perpetual obligation, becaufe they donaturally oblige, without anypar- titular and exprefr Revelation from God. And thefe are the Foundation of Re- vealed and Infiittited Religion, and all Revealed Religion does fuppofe them, and build upon them ; for all Revelation from God, fuppofeth us to be Men, and altersnothing of thofe Duties towhich we were naturally obliged before. And this will clearly appear if we confider theft three things; Firfi, That the Scripture every where fpeaks of theft, as the main and Funda- mental Duties of the jewifh Religion. Secondly, That no Inflituted Service ofGod, no pofitive part of Religion, was ever acceptable tohim, when thefe were negleled. Thirdly, That the great Defìgn ofthe Chriffian Religion, was to rellore and re- inforce thepralice of the natural Law.' a. That the Scripture every where fpeaks of thefe as the main and Fundamen- tal Duties ofthe Jewifb Religion. When our Saviour was ask'd which was thefirfi and great Commandment of the Law ; he anfwered, Thou (halt love the Lord thy God withallthy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy flrength ., and thou ¡halt love thy neighbour as thyfelt. One would have expeled he would have gi- ven quite another Anfwer, and have pitched upon fume of thofe things which were fo much magnified among the Jews, and which they laid fo much weight upon ; that he fhould have inflanced in Sacrifice, orCircuncifion, or the Law of the Sabbath : but he overlooks all thefe as inconfiderable in comparifon, and in- fiances only in thofe two great heads of Moral Duty, the love ofGod, and our Neighbour; which are of natural and perpetual obligation, and comprehend un- der them all other Moral Duties. And thefe are thofe which our Saviour calls the Law and the Prophets, and which he fayshe came not to defiroy, but to fulfil, Mat. S. 17, ea, 19, ay., Think not that I am come to deflroy the Lawor the Prophets. I am not come to defray but to full: for verily I fay unto you, 'till Heaven and Earth pals, one jot or one tittlefhall in wife pafrfrom the Law, 'tillall be fulfilled. Whofaever therefore ¡hall break one of thefe leafl Commandments, and(hall teach menfo, he ¡hallbe card the lea,fl in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whofoeverfhall do and teach them, thefame 'ball be calledgreat in the Kingdom of Heaven. For Ifay untoyou, that except your Itighteoufnefr ¡hall exceed the Righteoufnefs ofthe Scribes and Pharifees, ye ¡ball in no cafe enter into the Kingdom ofHeaven.
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